Mathematics — Grade 4

Where were you born: A graphing lesson

Students will gather data and graph the results. Lake Norman Elementary's student population has a wide range of native states. Many of the students were born in states other than North Carolina. This activity allows the students to survey each class to see what states are represented in our school. After the survey results have been tallied, students will use the data to create different types of graphs. The class will then compare the graphs and will decide which type of graph represents the information most clearly.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Mathematics)

By Erin Bradfeldt, Joan Milliken, and Kathy Beck.

Taking a stride in graphing

"Taking it in Stride" provides hands-on activities for students to use real-life experiences and apply them to graphing.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Mathematics)

By Sandy Brooks.

Nutritional value unit integrated with Microsoft Works

This unit is an example of how to integrate technology into the curriculum to alleviate teaching it in isolation. Students will use Microsoft Works to compare and analyze nutritional values from nonperishable food items.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Computer/Technology Skills and Mathematics)

By Gretchen Parrish.

Nutrition and the media: Cereal box consumerism

This lesson will offer your students the opportunity to explore nutrition and how the media impacts our consumer decisions. Students will design a cereal box and read about how the use of color, slogans, and prizes impacts buyers. This lesson plan is easily adapted for exceptional children and can be expanded and/or adapted to suit your students' needs.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts, Healthful Living, and Mathematics)

By Gloria Simmons.

Minerals and math

Students will develop ways to create self-devised rules for classifying minerals and relate this information to scientific ways of classifying minerals according to their characteristics. They will then compile this information into a chart and convert parts of the chart into a line or bar graph.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Mathematics and Science)

By Courtney Richards.

Resources on the web

What's the beat?

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students use the average adult's number of heartbeats per minute to predict how many times the heart would beat during various lengths of time. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

What's in a name: Looking back and moving forward

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students create graphs based on the characteristics of sets of names and find measures of center and spread. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

What is your favorite?

Fourth in an eight-part series. Students make human line plots and circle graphs, then draw them on paper and use a website to generate them. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

What is the best chip?

In this lesson, from Illuminations, students use data analysis to seek answers to the types of questions often posed by consumer agencies and people who work in sales and marketing. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

What counties are your favorite?

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students use their knowledge to gather data on ten of their favorite counties (places they might like to live, visit, etc.) within a specific state. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

What can data tell us?

In this Science NetLinks lesson, students analyze collections of both their own data and that of others. They create data distributions in order to determine the highest, lowest, and middle values, as well as pile ups and gaps, for a particular set of data. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Weather watchers

In this lesson, from Illuminations, students collect and analyze data about the weather and learn to make a stem-and-leaf plot. They spend a month collecting data on high and low temperatures and then work in groups to determine how best to display their data. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Water, water

In this lesson, from Illuminations, students compare the amount of water they use in daily life with the amount allotted for each person each day on a Space Shuttle. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Understanding distance, speed, and time relationships using simulation software

This e-example includes a software simulation of two runners along a track. Students can control the speeds and starting points of the runners, watch the race, and examine a graph of the time-versus-distance relationship. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Tally Time

First in an eight-part series. Students tally data about food preferences and learn the convention of displaying a set of five tallies. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Survey of hair and eye colors

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students participate in activities in which they focus on the uses of numbers. The activity, which serves as an introduction to statistics, involves data collection and interpretation. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Sticks and stones

In this Illuminations lesson, students play “Sticks and Stones,” a game based on the Apache game “Throw Sticks,” which was played at multi-nation celebrations. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–8 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

State population projections

In Illuminations lesson plan, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations about population projection, students examine the United States Census Bureau Web site to investigate projections of the total population of states from 1995 to 2025. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

State names

In this Illuminations lesson, students use multiple representations to analyze the frequency of letters that occur in the names of all 50 states. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–8 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Spreadsheets can be fun

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students organize data collected about county populations into a spreadsheet and create a chart to help them better understand the data. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics